Slightly Awkward
by Kagomaru
Summary: Sakura knew that it wasn't really his fault, but he was the only person alive that she could blame- and she REALLY wanted someone else to blame. KakaSaku A non-traditional take on a traditional plot devise.
1. Prologue: A stone's throw

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

This idea struck me while trying to think of a way to make a cliché and over-used plot device less cliché- though no less over-used :P Hopefully this will be a successful endeavor, but if it isn't… screw it. Things become cliché and over-used because they entertain us SO much we can't resist them anyway… Also, this story might not exist without the SUPER support and advice of the talented Slinkymilinky, my own personal goddess.

At the beginning of this story Sakura is 26 and Kakashi is 40ish.

And as always: **Please read and review,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

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Prologue: A stone's throw

Sakura looked down at the paper in her faintly trembling hands with a sigh. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought something like this was possible, but…

"Sakura?" Looking up at the sound of her name she was only a little surprised to see Shizune standing in the doorway of the clinic's testing lab; the woman always seemed to know when something unscheduled happened in the hospital.

"Did you need something Shizune-sempai?" Her words were calm and flat, reflecting none of her inner thoughts, a trick Kakashi had taught her in order to keep her emotions from reading so easily.

Unfortunately, it was so out of character for her not to express emotion that anyone who knew her well enough could tell she was trying to hide something. Shizune frowned thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong Sakura? I don't have you scheduled to work today…" With a flick of Sakura's wrist the paper in her hand was stored safely out of sight and she began cleaning her work station with casual efficiency.

"Sorry Shizune-sempai, I was just checking something for my mom, it looks like she's actually sick this time."

"Oh… I'm sorry Sakura-chan. Is there anything you'd like me to do?"

Sakura waved off her concern with a slight smile. "Don't worry sempai, Diabetes isn't fun, but it's manageable."

Shizune hummed in acknowledgement. Haruno Hanako was a known hypochondriac and before Sakura had become a medic she had been known to show up at the clinic at least once a week worrying about something or other. Now, the hospital staff was happy to have her out of their hair, but Sakura had ended up using hours of her free time each week to humor her mother's panicked requests.

For the first time Sakura was glad for her mother's quirk, now she wouldn't have to lie outright. While it _was_ true that her mother was sick for once, it just wasn't true that _that's_ what Sakura had been confirming.

Shizune smiled reassuringly. "Well, let me know if I can help all the same."

Sakura nodded and managed another weak smile just as Shizune's newest apprentice entered the room carrying a tray of samples to be tested.

"Shizune-shishou, could you show me how to… oh, hello Sakura-sensei."

Sakura could have kissed the girl for her timely interruption. "Hello, Renka-san." She nodded politely to the girl and turned back to Shizune. "If you'll excuse me Shizune-sempai, I need to explain to my mother that she's not allowed to have chocolate anymore—I just hope she doesn't kill the messenger."

Shizune laughed and Sakura rolled her eyes and held her smile steady. It was always better to say as little as possible when lying to someone like Shizune, as a hospital administrator it would be far too easy for her to find out the truth.

So with the skill of someone trained by both the best and worst liars respectively, Sakura maintained the tentative smile the entire walk down four flights of stairs from the testing labs to the records room in the sub-basement, where all ANBU records were kept.

If she weren't in such a foul mood she might even have felt accomplished for not hitting any of the orderlies who had insisted on stopping her to ask inane questions they should have known the answers to anyway. But as it was she only had the energy to keep her smile in place long enough to get away from curious eyes.

She did not feel like smiling right now. She felt more like killing someone actually, or bloodying them well and good at the very least; preferably someone who deserved it. But on that point she was willing to compromise.

As she entered the overly darkened basement she was halted at the records room door by a blank faced ANBU. "Authorization?"

"Haruno Sakura, authorization 52-62-0-1-1-3-Alpha-Omicron-Omega." The ANBU inspected her close enough to almost convince her she had memorized her authorization code incorrectly, but then he nodded curtly and unlocked the door with a key he produced seemingly out of nowhere.

"You have fifteen minutes, if you need more time you'll need to get permission directly from the Hokage." She nodded stiffly and entered the records room as soon as the door swung open.

Having been here many times before, Sakura was able to find the section dedicated to medical records without the use of the plaques on the walls. Each plaque was encoded by a different cipher, and if Sakura hadn't known the way already she would have simply wound up wandering aimlessly for hours.

The place was really one large maze whose walls were entirely comprised of filing cabinets, all of which were filled. Some of them with innocuous cookie recipes, some with personal records for ANBU personnel, and others with secrets so dark even the Hokage probably didn't know half of them.

The entire place was kept jumbled with switch backs and circular pathways to confuse intruders. Even the sections were scattered to prevent someone from simply finding what they were looking for if they didn't belong there.

Sakura did.

In a room full of filing cabinets Sakura walked easily to the section she needed and began to immediately scan the labels on each drawer. Finding the H drawer she made to perform the jutsu required to open it, when her eye managed to catch sight of the drawer below it.

Hatake Kakashi had his own drawer.

With a sigh she completed the jutsu and opened the drawer dedicated to Hatake Kakashi's long list of past maladies. Everything from the physical required before entering ANBU to the bad flu he'd had last week were recorded here, the problem would be _finding_ what she needed. Kakashi had provided the information she was looking for, but had sadly neglected to say _when_ it had occurred.

Deciding it would be easier to start from the beginning than anywhere else, Sakura picked up the first folder and scanned it briefly before putting it back and grabbing the next one. Minutes ticked by and she was increasingly aware of her time limit running out, but there was just _so much_ information to read through!

And then she found it.

She stared at the words on the paper as if staring long enough would change something. Sakura wanted to be angry with him, wanted to beat him senseless, but in the end all Kakashi had really done was to trust the wrong man.

"Haruno-san?" She looked up to see the guard standing in the doorway. "Time's up Haruno-san."

"Hai, gomen." Mentally noting the name of the man she needed to beat within an inch of his life, Sakura slipped the folder back into the drawer and closed it before standing and walking out.

With purpose she made her way to the first floor reception. She stood waiting with a frown as the girl (Yumi wasn't it?) leaned over the counter and pushed up her breasts in apparent invitation to the male doctor she was talking to.

"Yumi!" The girl jumped at Sakura's frustrated outburst and turned to Sakura, her smile now slightly forced.

"Can I help you with something Haruno-sensei?" The girl's tone was calm, sweet even. Damn but it was hard to be civil when you wanted to tear someone's head off.

It wasn't Yumi's fault that Sakura's plans for the future were being messed with; so despite the fact that Sakura would rather swallow her old gennin sandals, she plastered the smile back on her face and posed her query with a (somewhat) friendlier tone.

"Could you please tell me where to find Doctor Imoto?"

The look that crossed Yumi's face was not something Sakura could interpret before she turned away and opened a file from a pile behind her. "Imoto-sensei was picked up by his family last week already, would you like his file instead?"

Before Sakura could ask Yumi what she was talking about, she noticed a single bold-faced word scrawled across the folder's cover in glaring red. Deceased.

"Yes, that's fine." The words came out rather hollow, it wasn't fine- but Sakura didn't know what else to say. She pretended to read the file, her eyes skittering distractedly over the facts and figures, because really, she didn't know what else to do.

When enough time had passed, Sakura handed back the folder and walked away without another word. She wanted to cry.

She wanted to scream and beat someone senseless, but she couldn't. She didn't have anyone else to blame but herself at this point. Kakashi couldn't be blamed because, _for once_, he hadn't lied to her; and the only other person she could blame had died just last week due, simply, to being extremely old. Incompetently old…

Sakura was awoken from her morose thoughts by the sound of birds singing. She didn't remember sitting down on the bench in the hospital's garden overlooking the Koi pond, and she had no idea how long she'd been there; but she also felt no compunction to move. Staring out over the still water, her mind ran itself in circles.

_What the hell am I supposed to DO?_

It was probably hours later that Sakura forced herself to take a deep breath; she had made only _one_ decision, but felt it was the only one she could make.

She had learned a long time ago that nothing in life remained unchanged, that even the most stagnant pond could change dramatically with the throw of a stone.

Too bad Kakashi had such a damn good supply of stones.

Because his vasectomy had reversed itself.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

And as always: **Please read and review,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

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Chapter 1: The Faces We Wear and The Games We Play

By reputation Kaname Katou was an assassin of the highest level, a womanizer of the worst kind, and in general the kind of man you didn't want to fuck with; but that was exactly the type of man Sakai Haruko was looking for.

Since entering the sterility of married life (to a man more than twice her age) Haruko had found herself _seeking_ dangerous men. She found herself allowing them to ruthlessly fuck her against the brick wall of an alley-way, even calling them to her three month old marriage bed like a bitch in heat.

She loved the feeling of them inside her, hard and unmerciful. So unlike her doting husband whose gentle caresses made her feel dirty.

Haruko had been relatively comfortable in the brothel where Sakai Genno had met her, though that hadn't always been the case. Originally she had been sold there by a lover who had "grown bored" with her; she had cried for days.

Then, when the proprietor was getting ready to beat her within an inch of her life, one of the regular customers had come to her and forced her body to comply to his desires.

She had cum three times before he even entered her, and then he had fucked her with a ruthless abandon she had never experienced before. When he was lying panting at her side he turned to look at her and said something that would change her life. "There now, you didn't have time to feel anything but me, did you?"

She hadn't, and from that moment she had loved the feeling of a straining, hard cock thrusting inside her… So why had she married Genno? Haruko had only bothered to seduce him away from the other women because he looked like a good tipper, but somehow when he had asked her how she had ended up there, she had felt compelled to tell him.

The next morning he had asked her to marry him, begged her on his knees with his head touching the floor as if she were royalty. She had found him pathetic but… endearing maybe? Or maybe she was just sick of being a whore. In either case, she had only agreed after he told her about the very profitable bar he owned two towns over.

She told herself that she married him for the money.

He was always gentle in his lovemaking, as if afraid she would break in his arms- and she couldn't take it. After only two weeks of marriage she had gone into the bar next door to their home and sought out the most dangerous looking man she could find, being only discreet enough to not do more than talk in front of witnesses.

The man had taken her roughly from behind as she clutched the sink in the men's bathroom, loving the feeling of him using her to fulfill his desire. She hadn't cum, hadn't even come close, but for the first time in two weeks she had felt powerful, in control; and unable to think about anything else…

She preferred one night stands, though she had found herself being pursued by a number of the regulars. Most of these men she easily brushed off, but not Matsu. He was too much the kind of man she normally pursued, perhaps the most dangerous man she had ever met—it was impossible to ignore his advances, but she loved the game between them.

When his eyes burned her skin she was too enraptured to feel anything else.

He watched her, almost like a man obsessed—but she knew better. Once he had her he would lose interest and move on to the next pretty face, so she refused to give in. She wanted him to be hers entirely, to lose complete control as he buried himself within her; and only then would she consider allowing him to do more than watch as she fucked her husband's patrons night after night instead of him.

Haruko loved the feeling of Matsu's eyes lingering on every inch of her exposed skin when she walked into a room, or stuck her ass in the air for a stranger in the same night she had denied _him_. She loved knowing that she was pushing him closer and closer to the edge of reason, and she wouldn't stop until he was beyond it.

Tonight had been no different from any other night. She had dressed in a tight fitting red dress the same flaming color of her hair that covered her from knees to chin, but left nothing to the imagination. But the game had changed the moment she stepped into the bar- Matsu hadn't been the only truly dangerous man in the room.

She could still feel Matsu's eyes on her as usual, singeing her lightly with the intensity she adored, but tonight she ignored him. Her own green eyes burning into the man sitting directly across the smoke filled bar from the door.

His black hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, giving a severity to the beauty of his face that was marred only by a single scar extending from just above his brow to just below his cheek bone. Feeling her eyes upon him he looked up and she was arrested by the darkness of his gaze. His eyes were as black as his hair, and filled with something that made her shiver in anticipation.

He noticed her reaction and smiled predatorily, beckoning her to him with the smallest crook of his finger. She found herself obeying before she could think twice, and after a moment she was standing before him as his hungry eyes roamed her body.

When he indicated the seat across from him she once again found her body obeying before the thought had even crossed her mind not to; but once seated, she found herself once again in control of her faculties.

"Let me introduce myself…" His voice was like warm honey dripping down her spine, but she refused to lose at a game she had perfected.

"Kaname Katou." Her words were not a question and she smiled as he raised a single brow. "Your reputation precedes you."

His smile was wicked. "All good things I hope?"

Her own eyes glinted wickedly as she leaned forward and ran one manicured nail down his hand that was holding the glass before him. "Assuredly _not_, I have little need for _good _men."

His teeth flashed white in the dim light when he smiled. "What kind of man do you _need _then?"

Her smile widened and she leaned forward far enough to whisper in his ear. "Wicked, dangerous men who wouldn't mind fucking the wife of the proprietor."

His eyes flashed with something that could be interpreted as a dark hunger. "Are you sure that's what you _want_ my pet?"

Her own eyes flashed in challenge. "Of course not Kaname-san, but it _is _what I _need_." Without preamble she stood, looking down at him with confidence, the perfect image of a woman about to get what she wanted.

The look he gave her was penetrating, but after a moment he stood and was obviously pleased that it was now him looking down on her regardless of her four inch heels. "Who am I to deny a woman's needs? Shall we adjourn to my hotel room then? Or would you prefer we use the alley?"

She smiled as she looped her arm threw his. "Your hotel room would be fine, I don't mind _occasionally _fucking on a bed." Her nails bit into his arm a little as she spoke, but he showed no reaction to the pain.

"By all means then." Haruko followed blithely as he led her out of the smoky bar, pointedly ignoring the double stare of both Matsu and her husband. Neither had heard the conversation, she was confident that no one had; but their eyes hadn't left her since she had entered, and even as they left she knew that they were not completely alone.

"Do you often bring women you just met to your hotel room Kaname-san, or am I special?"

"Of course, a body like yours is worth a little risk."

Pleased, Haruko relaxed against him and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

The town of Himedori was a prosperous one situated between Ame and Earth. It was also a town known for both debauchery and the discretion of its inhabitants. So despite the bright lights of the main streets, the alley ways and side streets were as quiet as they were dark.

And still she could feel eyes upon her.

When they reached the hotel she took only a moment to admire the grand foyer, taking in little of the sumptuous furnishings as Kaname guided her to a side stairway. His room was on the second floor situated between the main and side stairways, and above the dining room where soft piano music played at all hours.

He unlocked the door and allowed her to enter first before closing the door and slapping a sealing scroll across it.

"Now, would you care to explain why you're not in Ame helping with the reconstruction Sakura?"

The glare she leveled him lacked the anger he expected. "It's _called_ diplomatic relations Hokage-sama."

* * *

Before leaving the village Kakashi had assured Tenzo that not only did it _have_ to be him on this mission (because he already had a well known cover in the area), but also that he would be back in a week's time.

That had been two weeks ago.

But it wasn't _his_ fault that the crime ring he had gone to destroy had been short one member, _or_ that it had taken him a week to locate the son-of-a-bitch. In the end, he blamed Pakkun.

Or at least, he blamed Pakkun in his letter back to Tenzo. '_Dog missed something, have to backtrack, will be late for dinner. ~Scarecrow '_

He was reasonably sure that Tenzo was a nervous wreck by now. Seeing as Kakashi had forced Tenzo to impersonate him in his absence though, Kakashi couldn't really blame him. But it _was_ important for his cover that no one associate him with Leaf's Hokage.

Eventually he had tracked his query to Himedori- specifically to Midori, a bar located in the downtown area of the city. Kakashi had rented a hotel room and had taken the time to secure it before heading down to Midori and situating himself so he could easily see the rest of the room.

He had only had to wait an hour before the S-class criminal walked through the door, and he had been pleased with the amount of alcohol the man was consuming. It would make everything a little bit easier.

As the night drew on, he mainly ignored the door, opting instead to play the part of Kaname Katou- connoisseur of women- while discretely watching his target.

But when he felt eyes upon him he looked up and saw the last person he expected to see tonight.

He wanted to drag her outside and scream at her for endangering his mission, but that would only make it worse. Instead he took a page out of the book of Kaname.

Giving her a predatory smile, he beckoned to her while executing a seduction jutsu that had served him well with even the most stubborn of subjects in the past. And when she was standing before him he allowed his eyes to roam over her body, absently noting that she wore no undergarments.

When he indicated the seat across from him he pushed the jutsu a little further and then released it all together once she was seated.

"Let me introduce myself…" He wanted to answer a few of her questions before she had a chance to speak them aloud and put them both in jeopardy. But she surprised him again.

"Kaname Katou." Her words were not a question and she smiled when he raised a surprised brow. For a moment he was thrown, she shouldn't have known _anything_ about his cover, let alone his name. "Your reputation precedes you." Underneath the underneath. Kakashi analyzed her words quickly before responding.

_I've heard rumors of Kaname's recent activities._

His smile was wicked. "All good things I hope?"

_Anything that gives me away to my target?_

Her own eyes glinted wickedly as she leaned forward and ran one manicured nail down his hand that was holding the glass before him. "Assuredly _not_, I have little need for _good _men."

_Not really, but I'm going to be the one to take him down._

His teeth flashed white in the dim light when he smiled. "What kind of man do you _need _then?"

_I __**will**__ have a hand in this, what can I do?_

Her smile widened and she leaned forward far enough to whisper in his ear. "Wicked, dangerous men who don't mind fucking the wife of the proprietor."

_Play your part as Kaname and have sex with me._

Something that could have been misinterpreted as a dark hunger, but was actually closer to rage flashed through his eyes. "Are you sure that's what you _want_ my pet?"

_You want to have __**sex **__with me?_

Her own eyes flashed in challenge. "Of course not Kaname-san, but it _is _what I _need_."

_I don't __**want**__ to, but it's necessary._

When she stood, looking down at him in confidence, he gave her a penetrating look; calculating silently the likelihood of her claim. After a moment he stood and couldn't stop the slight smile at her obvious agitation that she now had to look up at him. "Who am I to deny a woman's needs? Shall we adjourn to my hotel room then? Or would you prefer we use the ally?"

_Fine, but we're going to debrief in my room. I've heard about some of your recent exploits too._

She smiled as she looped her arm through his. "Your hotel room would be fine, I don't mind _occasionally _fucking on a bed." Her nails bit into his arm a little as she spoke and it was all he could do not to cringe, though he managed.

_Fine, but don't you __**dare**__ criticize me for keeping up my cover!_

"By all means then."

_Point taken, move now, talk later._

She followed blithely as he led her out of the smoky bar, but he could still feel the tension of her body next to his.

"Do you often bring women you just met to your hotel room Kaname-san, or am I special?"

_Do you trust me in this, or are you just making do?_

"Of course, a body like yours is worth a little risk."

_Of course I trust you; you are one of my best._

He was pleased when he felt her relax a little, smiling like a cat with a bowl of cream and even going so far as to rest her head against his shoulder as they walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they reached the hotel he guided her to the side stairway. His room was on the second floor situated in such a way that he would have both privacy and multiple exits.

Kakashi unlocked the door and allowed her to enter first before closing the door and slapping a sealing scroll across it, finally allowing some of his anger to surface.

"Now, would you care to explain why you're not in Ame helping with the reconstruction Sakura?"

The glare she leveled him lacked the anger he expected. "It's _called_ diplomatic relations Hokage-sama."

Kakashi sighed as he stepped away from her and ran a hand through his hair and sat at the edge of the bed, facing her. "Okay, give me the short version."

Sakura stood stiffly for a second before taking off her shoes and sitting a couple feet away from him on the bed (Kakashi never really had been one for formality).

"Three and a half months ago Ame received news that Matashi Matsu, one of their missing-nin, had been seen within Ame borders again. Konan felt that it was important to stop him, but she couldn't afford to send any of the Ame-nin that might have been strong enough to not get themselves killed, so she asked me."

Seeing the tension her words put in Kakashi's shoulders Sakura corrected herself. "Well, she didn't exactly ask me. It was more like she allowed me to overhear the details and then I volunteered."

The look he gave her seemed to question her sanity. "Your mission was to help in the _reconstruction_ of Ame as a representative of Konoha. How _exactly_ is this helping with reconstruction?"

Sakura frowned at him. "I'm making it possible for them to keep the right people doing the right jobs and keep the reconstruction moving smoothly. If Konan had sent someone else it may have set them back by months."

Kakashi looked away from her and lay back on the bed, resting his head on his crossed arms. "Hn."

Sakura sighed at having averted a major argument. "Basically, we developed a strategy based on their knowledge of him and his habits, I established a cover story, and have since then have been maintaining my cover. For a while I was mainly relying on genjutsu, but once he began to notice me I had to abandon it…"

Kakashi knew what she didn't say. That Matsu was too good a shinobi to risk using a genjutsu, that she had slept with innumerable men to maintain her cover.

"How close are you to finishing the mission?"

Instead of responding Sakura crawled over to him and threw a leg over his hips to effectively straddle him. Leaning down she whispered in his ear. "He's watching now, be careful what you say—he can read lips quite well."

Before he could respond he was caught off guard by her teeth nibbling his ear. "I'm very close to my objective, I think he'll break after watching me with someone he could consider a rival." Her lips trailed down his neck and his hands fell to the small of her back instinctively as she nibbled at his collar bone. "This _has _to be real Kakashi, don't make me do all the work."

Duly chastened, Kakashi grasped her hips and ground into her; and (despite Kakashi's obvious lack of arousal) Sakura acted appropriately, throwing her head back with a moan that Matsu would have found very convincing if he had been able to hear it through Kakashi's sealed barrier.

Little Kakashi was certainly becoming convinced rather quickly.

Suddenly feeling that Kaname would never allow a woman to be the one in power, Kakashi flipped their positions before attacking her mouth with his own. When she opened her mouth for him he eagerly caressed and battled her tongue for dominance, every second making him forget a little more that this was Sakura- that they were being watched—that this was a mission.

When he pulled away from his mouth to assault her neck she panted into the crook of his neck. "Do you have a condom?"

He shook his head, being careful to keep his mouth buried in her hair as he responded. "ANBU had me get a vasectomy when I created this cover, we're good." She nodded and then moaned raggedly as he bit her clavicle through the fabric of her high collared dress.

They lost themselves to the moment, both allowing their minds to wonder.

For Kakashi, Sakura became the red haired goddess from chapter fifteen of Icha-Icha Tactics; but for Sakura… she refused to fantasize. Instead, she focused on making all the right sounds at the right times, while using the smallest thread of chakra to prepare her body for what they would do.

It was always like this for her. The only chakra she could use undetected was that which she used on herself, and even then, only in small amounts. So once Matsu had begun watching her she had resorted to this method, as opposed to the genjutsu that would have given her away in seconds.

She refused to fantasize because she didn't want to create an image in her mind that no man could live up to. If there was one thing that could be said of Sakura, it was that she was dedicated. Whether for work, or friends, or lovers (not that she'd had a _real _one in a while), Sakura was both dependable and faithful.

To her, _not_ fantasizing meant remaining faithful to whomever she found herself with in the future. Because despite only having had a handful of dates and a few explorative romps (outside of work) in twenty-six years of life, Sakura still believed in romance. And she refused to give herself completely for anything less.

That of course didn't mean that she didn't enjoy the way Kakashi kissed his way down her newly exposed skin with each button he undid down the back of her dress. Nor did it stop her from relishing the fact that with only a few strokes of her hand she had the great Copy-nin Kakashi, Konoha's Rokudime, half begging her to let him inside her.

She loved it.

She just didn't love _him_.

But that was alright. Sex and love had become separate things to her seven years ago when she had lost her virginity just to get it over with. Then, she had trusted the man not to spread rumors or carry diseases- and her faith had been well placed. Many girls who waited for 'love' couldn't make that claim.

* * *

Kakashi had allowed himself to indulge fully in the fantasy of the lovely Aiko as he nibbled Sakura's neck and kissed her velvet skin, as she stroked him and he nearly came in her hand. But when he went to kiss her perfect mouth and noticed her far off eyes, a large part of him rebelled.

He was intelligent enough to know what that look meant, that she had set her body on auto drive, practically left him alone in the room. His ego refused to accept this; though _he_ tried.

Was he not doing a version of the same thing himself; imagining Sakura to be someone else just so he could look her in the eye in the future? Did it really matter that, despite the sounds coming from her mouth and movements of her body against his, she was a thousand miles away?

Yes, unfortunately for them both, it did.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

I'm sooooooooo sorry about the loooong delay in updating. I'm sure most of you thought that I was either dead or had given up on my stories, but both are far from the truth. It's too long and boring of a story to really get into, but let's just say that real life was too busy to leave me time to feel anything but exhausted. Things are a little better now and I am back to writing! I did promise that I would at least never give up on my stories and I am proud to say that I am keeping that promise.

And as always: **Please read and review,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

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Chapter 2: The Words We Don't Know How to Say

To say that Sakura felt a little awkward right now would be like saying Naruto liked ramen, an under-exaggeration to the point of dishonesty.

She was sitting in the Hokage's waiting room watching as Kakashi's newest assistant cleaned his nails with the tip of a kunai. He was the sixth one since Kakashi had taken office, but then, when the elders kept insisting on ANBU operatives versus one of the chuunin or tokubetsu-jounin that had been the norm with all previous Hokages, they should have expected some problems.

Really though, with a Hokage like Hatake Kakashi who continually insisted on hiding in some unlikely location to read his beloved porn, Sakura couldn't blame them. She would probably have assigned an entire squad just to keep tabs on him, but assigning one ANBU assistant was almost entirely useless. Kakashi could outsmart any single one of them with both of his eyes closed.

But right now wasn't really the time to be thinking about Kakashi's newest assistant. Already she had wasted three days trying to figure out what she was going to say to him, and she still didn't know… but she wouldn't put this off any longer. Kakashi deserved more than second hand knowledge about this.

The Hokage's door opened and a team of rookies and their jounin instructor stepped out after a twenty minute briefing. The gennin looked almost queasy but their team leader was all smiles. Genma really was a sadist.

Sakura smiled briefly before she noticed Kakashi standing in the doorway, watching her. When he was sure he had her attention he waved her in and walked back into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.

All of a sudden she felt like a gennin again herself; knees knocking together at the prospect of meeting with the Hokage in person for the first time, palms sweating, heart beating irregularly fast, she felt like an idiot. Taking a deep breath Sakura got up and entered the office, being careful to close the door fully behind her.

The office had changed so much in the last 14 years. When the Sandaime had been in office the room had been spartan, not even a throw rug to break up the space. When Tsunade had taken office she had redone it entirely; moving the desk so any visitor looked out the window towards the village, plush chairs sitting across from her, a large rug that drew attention to the center of the room, and even pictures on the walls. But it was different for Hatake Kakashi.

He hadn't cared much about changing things at first, but over the years he had begun to change things one at a time: The desk had been moved so that the windows would be to the right of anyone facing the Hokage, and the door would be to the left. The chairs that had been across from the Hokage for guests had been removed (forcing any visitors to stand), and a large couch had been placed on the opposite end of the room (on the off-chance that Kakashi decided to take a nap). The large rug had been replaced by hand-made tatami in a complex pattern of rectangles, and the pictures had changed from landscapes to portraits of each Hokage as well as pictures of their teams.

It didn't even feel like three years since Kakashi had taken office, but in actuality it had been closer to nine.

Kakashi cleared his throat to catch Sakura's wandering attention and she could feel her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She had been the one asking for a meeting and she hadn't even looked him in the eye properly since entering the room.

"If this is about implementing your new procedure into the official lesson plan for the med-nin trainees, I already told Ino that I couldn't care less what you teach them so long as they are capable of working both in the hospital, _and_ on the field. There's no purpose in a nin with no flexibility."

Sakura smiled, this had been a bone of contention between Kakashi and Ino since Sakura had put her in charge of training the chuunin trainees… Her smile faded slowly, this wasn't why she was here.

"No, it's a bit of a more personal matter." At her words Kakashi leaned forward in his chair and propped his elbows on the desk, a look of genuine interest lighting his features.

"Are you having a torrid affair with one of your teammates and you've come to request a transfer before one of you gets caught? Because if you're worried about getting caught I'll have to look into furthering your training; no former student of the Hokage should be stupid enough to get caught by the general populous."

Sakura couldn't help it, she laughed. "Even though 70% of the general populous are either active or retired nin?"

Kakashi's eye creased in a smile. "Of course, I don't remember teaching any of them anything."

She laughed harder and grinned. "Really, I don't remember you teaching _me_ anything either."

Kakashi's face crumpled into a look of dejection. "Then are you just here to make fun of your old sensei?"

Sakura laughed lightly for a moment before the situation she was actually in quieted her again. She didn't feel so nervous anymore, but she couldn't continue smiling either. Kakashi seemed to read the change in her mood and stopped smiling as well, watching her intently.

"I'm pregnant."

Kakashi froze, for a second he didn't even breathe. "I'm sorry, you're what?"

"Pregnant." Sakura pressed her lips tightly together to keep herself from saying one of the snide remarks or horrible accusations that were floating around inside her head to give him time to respond.

He stared at her for a long moment before taking a deep breath. "You know I was just kidding about the torrid affair bit right? You're not telling me that you really are…"

"No!" Sakura blushed with both embarrassment and aggravation. It wasn't his fault that he didn't immediately pick up on the fact that _he_ was the father, most men who'd had a vasectomy didn't spend too much energy thinking that when a woman told them they were pregnant they also meant that he was the father.

"I don't think that having sex to keep our cover can qualify as a torrid affair Kakashi."

The breath whooshed out of him as Kakashi understood her implication. Clearing his throat, Kakashi forced enough air into his lungs to speak. "You're not implying that…"

"I am."

Kakashi stood and his voice became just a touch louder. "It's impossible."

"It's not."

"Damn it Sakura, I told you it's not possible!"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura opened her eyes and looked directly into his. She was as calm as she ever was during a life threatening surgery, this was something that had to be done- and all the rest were just distractions she couldn't afford.

"In cases where a vasectomy is done poorly and there is scar tissue left the body can attempt to clear away the scar tissue to heal its self. The body has a natural tendency to 'fix' itself. The doctor who performed your surgery was old, his hands may not have been perfectly steady, or he may have been distracted, or he may have just always been incompetent and we're only finding out just now- but whatever the case, he _fucked_ up.

Hell, even a routine check-up, the one that is _supposed_ to be performed one month after any vasectomy, would have been able to tell that your surgery had been less than successful; but you never got one!"

Kakashi was sitting limply at his desk staring at the surface in front of him without expression, and when he spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper "…Sakura"

"Don't you _dare_ try to tell me it's impossible, I _know_ it's yours!"

Kakashi took a deep breath and forced his eye up to meet both of hers. "There's no chance that it's someone else's? I wasn't the only person you slept with to keep your cover Sakura."

Quiet settled over the room as Sakura fumed. She faced away from him, staring blankly out the window without actually seeing it. For a minute she did nothing but breathe, collecting calm around her like a shawl.

"You are the only one I didn't use protection with." She turned back to him and stared at him until he looked back up at her. "Because I trusted you Kakashi, I believed that if you said there was nothing to worry about- there wasn't. I guess I was wrong."

Without giving him a chance to respond Sakura turned and walked towards the door, but just as she pulled it open to walk out his words stopped her.

"Sakura, what are you going to do?"

She didn't look at him but continued to face out towards the empty waiting room, speaking in a voice that was almost entirely lifeless. "It's funny isn't it? Whenever a woman goes to her lover or one night stand to tell them she's pregnant they always ask that. 'What are **you** going to do?'" Sakura looked back at him over her shoulder. "I came here to say what are **we** going to do? … I guess that was too much to hope for."

The door closed quietly behind her as she walked out the door, and Kakashi cradled his face in his hands. "What am I _supposed_ to do?"

He hadn't felt so helpless since the day Konoha had voted to make him Hokage.

* * *

Sakura made it all the way to the foot of the Hokage tower before she began to cry. It started with silent tears that slid hotly down her cheeks before being brushed away by her impatient hands. By the time she was a block away they had begun to fall too rapidly for her to keep up with and she was forced to bite her lip to keep herself from sobbing in rage. But by the time she had made it half-way to training ground 4, where she had intended to destroy half the forest in rage, she was a sobbing mess that couldn't take another step.

She sat down next to the path with her back against a large tree and her knees pulled up to her chin. She stopped trying to hold it in and simply let herself cry until she felt numb.

Kakashi wasn't a man she could hate. He was the one man she respected above all others, both as a team leader and as Hokage.

Despite everything, Sakura trusted him more than anyone else. She was frustrated and hurt, but she also hated herself for saying those words to him. She _hadn't_ been wrong to trust him just…

She didn't know what she was supposed to do to make things right.

If she simply apologized it would be like saying that she didn't have a valid reason to be upset at him for doubting her- trust was a two way street after all. But if she didn't say anything, would he?

Kakashi was notorious for simply ignoring or avoiding personal problems. So if she didn't say something did that mean that they would simply stop talking to each other outside of official business? Because she didn't think she could take that.

After a while Sakura decided to wait before deciding anything important, for now.

Tomorrow was her morning hospital rotation, and despite wanting to curl into a ball and ignore the world until she knew what she was going to do, she happened to know how much her presence would be missed. So she picked herself up and brushed herself off.

She would go home, take a shower, and sleep until morning. What did it matter that it was only three in the afternoon?

* * *

"You know this is all your fault, right?" Despite coming here alone and seemingly talking to a stone for the last 28 years, this was the first time Kakashi had actually been talking to himself.

After Sakura left, Kakashi had sat at his desk thinking for almost an hour before clearing his schedule for the rest of the day and heading down to the ANBU records room.

It had taken him much longer than he thought it would to find his own medical file, and he was a little taken aback that he actually had a whole drawer dedicated to him… a very _full_ drawer dedicated to him.

Before he died there would almost certainly be two drawers dedicated to Hatake Kakashi.

First he had found the record of his operation, absorbing every detail for later dissection, and then he had gone through every record after that. Sakura had been right, the follow-up examination had never happened. He had missed the scheduled follow-up due to a mission had beginning early, and it hadn't been rescheduled. No other procedure or examination had had anything to do with the vasectomy, so there was nothing he could even possibly use to persuade himself that he might not be the father.

Sure he could say that it wasn't his, after all, he'd had the operation hadn't he? Unless they did a paternity test there was no way to know for sure except… he trusted Sakura.

If Haruno Sakura, joint-chief of the Konoha medic-nin said that she _knew_ he was the father, he was.

In frustration he had come to the memorial stone in search of some peace from his racing thoughts, but it was in vein. Every time he tried to quiet his mind enough to meditate in the way that was his norm Sakura's voice would shatter the peace and leave him feeling like a jumbled mess all over again.

"_I guess I was wrong…"_

Looking down, Kakashi noticed a name he hadn't thought about too much in the last few years. Sarutobi Asuma. It was disconcerting to realize that Asuma had been dead for almost eleven years.

His daughter Chiharu was already ten years old, studying in the academy and getting into trouble all over town. As the daughter between two of the rookie nine's sensei she had been spoiled by teenagers and adults alike since the day she was born. She had Shikamaru and Choji wrapped around her little finger and had even managed to cause Sakura to express her desire for a little girl just like her sometime.

And now that was an actual possibility.

Kakashi sighed, he wasn't proud of how he had reacted- but he also didn't feel like he had gone overboard. He had been in shock, for most of his life he hadn't really cared much about children or a family life; and since the vasectomy nine years ago he had never stopped to really think about it ever being a real possibility.

Kakashi's life didn't have room for any serious dating, or at least he didn't enjoy trying to start a new relationship enough to really take the time it would require. And who else was there?

Kurenai had been one of his best friends' lover, and despite what she had said that night when she was drunk off her ass two years ago- it did matter.

Anko was beautiful and if his memory still served, a good lay- but she was… Anko. She was the twisted little girl that Orochimaru had discarded out of hand, and she never let herself forget it. She wasn't the type to have a serious relationship, let alone a family.

He supposed that Shizune was alright, probably even the type to settle down someday- but he just didn't look at her that way. She just… didn't have the fire in her eyes that attracted Kakashi to a woman.

And that was pretty much it for the women in his generation that he had anything to do with whatsoever.

A civilian wouldn't cut it, Kakashi enjoyed a woman with fire in her eyes who could at least hold her own against him; and if they were going to be more than a one night stand they would also have to be able to make him laugh, and work _with_ him versus _around_ him, and…

Kakashi sighed again and let his face fall into his upturned palm. Since when did his ideal type sound so much like a certain pink-haired former student of his? Or was it that she had simply become very much like his ideal? Was there a difference?

Either way, she was currently a very angry, very pregnant, version of his ideal- and he would be beyond surprised if he ever touched her again…

"Arrrg!" Sick of his own thoughts Kakashi smacked himself in the head as if to jar even the thought from his mind. As if it wasn't enough that she was pregnant, he wanted to fool around with her too? Moreover, getting into Sakura's pants wasn't the problem right now. He needed to think, maybe even bounce some ideas against someone else…

Yep, it was time for Hatake Kakashi to hit the bar.

Sixty minutes and three drinks later Kakashi was feeling a bit better. That might have something to do with how funny it was to watch Tenzo's face contort and cringe as he explained the situation though.

"Wait, you're telling me that the time last month when I had to cover for you, you were busy impregnating your former student!"

Kakashi frowned at Tenzo's choice of words. "First off, I went on an assassination mission- a successful one I might add, the sex was just the two of us attempting to keep our covers. Second, the important thing right now isn't what _happened_ but what we're going to _do_ about it." Kakashi took a long drink from the glass of shouchu in front of him.

"I get the feeling that Sakura wants me to have a real, thought out opinion before she sees me again; and that's if she _doesn't_ kill me off before I have a chance to give her one."

Tenzo shook his head despairingly. "It's not as hard as you're making it out to be." Kakashi's face was comically confused. "Do you want to have children?"

Kakashi sighed and ran his hand through his hair."That's the thing, I don't know…" He stared out the window to his right and into the darkening sky that had just begun to show some of its brighter stars. "I never really thought about it before."

For a minute they both remained silent as they contemplated what Kakashi should do, and then Tenzo spoke quietly without looking up from the table. "Imagine a younger version of yourself, of the things you wish someone had said to you, of the things you wish you could do for him… Picture a five year old version of Sakura, what would you tell her, how would you protect her?... Now imagine them calling you Daddy, relying on you, trusting you completely… How does that make you feel?"

"Terrified." There was no hesitation in the response at all; it was as automatic as breathing.

Tenzo smiled vaguely. "Why, what part of it terrifies you?"

Kakashi stared at him like as if he had lost his mind. "Are you kidding me? Someone relying on you completely? Someone who can't even defend themselves as well as the dullest gennin? I'm not like Asuma, I don't have the patience to deal with teaching someone who doesn't even understand the basics, I don't have any good bits of wisdom to pass down to the younger generations besides how to protect and how to kill. How could I be expected to be responsible for a baby?"

Tenzo laughed lightly, ignoring the deadly glare Kakashi sent his way. "So what are you going to do if she decides to have the baby? Are you going to ignore them? Force Sakura retire from field work so she can be a proper single-parent?"

Kakashi was dumbfounded. Sakura, retired from field work? She'd hate it. On more than one occasion she had said that though she loved working and teaching in the hospital- it was the field work that kept her sane. Would he take that away from her just so someone could stay home with the child? Never.

"… I guess that I could look after it while she was on missions…"

Tenzo smiled while Kakashi was faced away from him, he had him right where he wanted him. "So the child would know you as what? Uncle Hokage who looked after him or her while mother was away?"

Kakashi looked back at him, surprised. "Well, I don't know why we'd have to lie…"

"And what about Sakura? Would she really want to be alone for the rest of her life because she was a single mother? There aren't many men who have the guts to have a real relationship with a woman who already has a kid. What if she doesn't really want to be a mother but just can't bring herself to take the life of a child before it's begun. She's not really the type to be cool in the face of personal issues."

It was like being hit in the face with ice water. Kakashi tried not to grind his teeth at the thought of Sakura wanting a relationship and not being able to because she was raising his child. Of her trapped in a role she hadn't planned on playing, but had been forced into because she was a compassionate person.

But then Tenzo said something that left Kakashi reeling, unable to even form a response.

Looking Kakashi dead in the eye he spoke in a quiet voice that would echo through Kakashi's head for the rest of the night. "And what if she decided not to go through with the pregnancy at all? What would it do to Sakura to go through with something like that? What would it do to the both of you?"

Kakashi sat in stunned silence as Tenzo stood and patted his shoulder before walking away with a quiet 'good luck' thrown over his shoulder. There was nothing else that could be said after that, Kakashi would either figure it out- or he wouldn't and Sakura would be forced to make a decision by herself. Either way, Tenzo had done his best to make him see what it was he wanted.

It was sad really, a man of Kakashi's age not being able to admit to himself what he wanted; but that's why Tenzo had pushed so hard. Sometimes only friends could see what you were hiding from even yourself.

* * *

Kakashi woke to bright sunlight shining directly in his eyes and a head-ache threatening to crack his head into pieces. And once he opened his eyes he realized that his face was also somewhat stuck to the sticky surface of the bar counter.

Sitting upright Kakashi ran a hand down his distinctly naked face with a groan. What did he do last night?

Oh, yeah…

After Tenzo had left and Kakashi had gained back enough facilities to move he had gone over to the bar and ordered another drink. Without the need for privacy that speaking to Tenzo had facilitated he had sat at the counter and simply continued to drink himself into oblivion. At one point though, things had changed.

When the bar crowd had begun to thin out and the bar tender had been left to his nightly cleaning duties Kakashi had found himself talking again. (As Hokage he didn't usually get hassled to leave if he didn't want to.)

It had begun with a vague monologue about women in general, but then he had stopped and really looked at the man he was talking to. He was a man somewhere between forty and fifty, built- but only in a civilian sort of way, and he had smile lines at both the corners of his eyes and mouth. It made Kakashi's drunken mind curious.

"_Do you have kids?"_

_The man looked caught off guard at first but then he had smiled and begun to laugh. "Six!"_

_Kakashi's eyes had almost bugged out of his skull. Six, he could hardly contemplate one! "Isn't that a bit overwhelming? From what I know, just one kid can be a ridiculously large handful."_

"_Hahaha, you don't have to tell me. There were days when I wondered if we should have just given the first one away! You wouldn't believe some of the nightmarish pranks kids can pull. Especially my little Miwa, she's in the academy right now- first one in the whole family to make it in. _

_Can you even imagine the kinds of pranks she can pull on civilian parents like us? I thought water buckets over the door were bad enough, have you ever seen a grown adult try to ground a kid in the academy? It's like their made of oil, you can't keep them in, you can't keep them out, and if you get them fired up they destroy the house!"_

_Kakashi could imagine it, and just the thought of it had made him a bit queasy. "And you can still laugh about it? Aren't you going mad with that kind of kid running around the house?"_

_The man had quieted his laughter, but his smile had stayed firmly in place. "Sure, she drives me crazy sometimes- they all do at one point or another; but it's worth it. When one of them accomplish something and come running to tell you all about it, or when you see them doing something you taught them when they don't think you're looking… The pride I feel in those kids couldn't be rivaled."_

"_But weren't you scared, with the first one I mean; weren't you worried that you would somehow mess it up?"_

"_Oh yeah, I think every parent feels that way. 'What do I have to teach them?' 'What if I'm just like my parents?' or 'What if I can't do as well as my parents did?' They're the type of thoughts all parents have. But if you didn't think that way, what kind of parent would you be? It's just proof that you want to be a good parent, don't you think?"_

The conversation had hit Kakashi in a way that nothing else had.

When he thought about it clearly he remembered that when he had agreed to get the vasectomy in preparation for a long-term undercover mission, he had promised himself that one day he would have it reversed. Without the panic of Sakura's announcement pounding through his veins he could remember how he had felt when Chiharu had been born. How when Kurenai had placed the infant girl in his arms and she had looked up at him with those big red-brown eyes and grabbed his pinky finger with her little fist, he had been jealous that she wasn't _his_.

And _not_ because he had had any designs on her mother either.

His heartbeat quickened and his headache no longer had any importance. He needed to talk to Sakura.

Kakashi stood from the bar stool and stretched his arms above his head, cracking his back and catching a whiff of himself in the process. Perhaps a shower was in order first…


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

Seriously, thank you. All of you who have reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read my stories- you really make it worth writing! I know some of you probably thought that I had abandoned my fics, but if you read my profile you'll see that I have no intention of ever doing that... I'm just not always motivated to update in a timely manor.

Also, thank you to Juniper11 for looking over this for me! I'm too much of a perfectionist to send my chapters out without a second set of eyes looking for my blind spots.

And as always: Please **read and review****,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

* * *

Chapter 3: The Games We W_ill_ Not Play

Sakura wasn't sure how it happened, one minute she was in control and the next she was lost.

Kakashi's hands were running up and down the backs of her thighs, alight with light blue chakra that sensitized her skin to the point that even the slight touch of his fingers left her gasping for breath. He kissed her neck, trailing down to capture a pert nipple between his teeth and every inch of her skin flared with arousal.

Sakura had been aroused before, she knew the signs, she knew the feel; but it had never felt like this before. Logically she knew that he had just used a medical jutsu in a way she never had before, but physically all she knew was that she wanted more. She was struggling to control herself, to find the peace within herself as she usually did- but she couldn't; he wouldn't let her.

His every touch was pushing her closer and closer to the edge of an abyss she hadn't intended to cross. But then, she wasn't crossing was she? She was falling right over the edge. He hadn't even entered her and she was already panting and begging him brokenly for more.

She couldn't let this continue.

In a move more dominant than she usually allowed herself while in the role of Haruko, Sakura flipped Kakashi back down on the bed and kissed her way downwards until she was on the floor kneeling between his legs. The feel of his eyes boring into her was electric, sending tingles from the tips of her fingers all the way down to the tips of her toes. She looked up to watch his face as she took him into her mouth and fairly purred when his face bunched into a grimace of excruciating pleasure.

Using a technique that she had developed to keep patients from choking on their breathing tubes Sakura took the whole of him into her mouth and down her throat. It was an odd sensation to have her lips against his pubic hairs, but when she looked up and saw gaze in his eyes she decided that it was worth it. His eyes were glazed over with unfulfilled lust and when she swallowed heavily he threw his head back with a grown and thrust against her willing mouth.

She kept it up for close to ten minutes, touching herself as she enjoyed the power she had over him until he finally reached down and pulled her hair, forcing her mouth away from him. For a moment they sat there panting, seeing each other's need and desiring more; and then he slammed his mouth against hers and battled her tongue for dominance.

Waiting until she was fully involved in kissing him, Kakashi moved his chakra laden fingers down her sweat drenched skin and to the little nub that was so deliciously sensitive. He enjoyed the taste of her peach flavored lip gloss _almost_ as much as he enjoyed the way she came instantly at his touch. Throwing her head back and thrashing against him as uncontrollable waves of pleasure washed over her.

Her scream of release was one of the more lovely ones that he had heard in recent memory, and Kakashi reveled in it. Before she even had a chance to fully come down from her high Kakashi pushed her back against the carpet and entered her without further warning.

It was indescribable.

Her chakra sensitized body thrashed at the delicious feeling of him moving inside of her, his calloused fingers caressing her skin, the touch of his mouth against her throat; it was too much. She was coming apart at his finger tips, desperately thrusting her hips against his in an attempt to relieve the overwhelming pressure building inside of her.

"Kami-sama, you're so tight Sakura... Even with that ridiculous hair, you're gorgeous…" His words whispered against her ear and sent a thrill through her that sent her spiraling into another orgasm faster than she could think. He was calling her name, saying these things to _her_ versus the woman she was pretending to be; she couldn't have held her body's reaction back if she tried.

Kakashi was just coherent enough to cover her mouth with his own as she came hard calling his name, but then he lost even that. The feeling of her clamping down around him was so good it was almost painful, his whole body was tensed to the point of breaking even as his hips crashed uncontrollably into Sakura's again and again.

Her hands ghosted over his back as she slowly came down from her high. She didn't think she had ever come so hard before… it was worth a reward. Kakashi was thrashing above her with an intense look of concentration etched across his features, and Sakura took great pride in causing that look to become one of astonishment as her chakra laden fingers found their way between them to grasp his ball sack and squeeze ever so lightly.

For Kakashi it was as if he had been struck on the back of the head. The pleasure was so intense that all he could see were spots of color and his hearing was gone altogether, leaving him with nothing but the joint feeling of her chakra swirling through him and her walls clamping like a vice. A strangled cry ripped from his throat as his back arched and he slammed into her with a final, powerful thrust before he exploded inside her- emptying himself into her lithe, willing body.

He collapsed on top of her as her body shivered in aftershock from the intense feeling he had evoked in her body, and they lay there panting for long minutes before he found the strength to roll off her. It was awkward. The more she thought about it actually, the more awkward it was. She, Haruno Sakura had just had sex with Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi… mind blowing sex that she would never forget for as long as she lived.

Thankful that he was on her right so she could face him without blowing her cover, Sakura rolled onto her side to face him. Her body language was relaxed and she even ran a finger down his side in only half feigned admiration of his body; but when she spoke, it was through gritted teeth. "Was that completely necessary?"

For his part Kakashi was busy trying to feel guilty, but he didn't. He'd just had mind blowing sex with a beautiful, consenting woman- what was there to feel guilty about? Giving her two orgasms? No, he didn't feel the least bit guilty… he just wasn't going to tell _her_ that.

Kakashi stood and began to dress with his back to the window. "It's just not in me to leave a woman unsatisfied. Call it male pride if you want, or personal egotism… but I'm not going to apologize for giving you a real orgasm or two."

When he turned back around her mouth was gaping like a fish. He smiled Katou's vicious smile and bent over to place a hungry kiss on her lips before burying his face in her hair to whisper. "You can attempt to kick my ass when we're back in Konoha, right now we're a bit busy." Then he gave her one last, chaste kiss before turning and exiting the room, leaving her naked and fuming on his hotel room floor.

* * *

Clove scented smoke permeated the bar when Sakura finally stepped back through the entrance. She took a moment to locate Matsu at his usual table and shot him a sultry smile. The fire burning in his eyes was exactly what she had been waiting for, he was distracted now- too consumed with lust to think of using his chakra to check his drink for poison.

It was rather anti-climactic actually. After everything she had gone through to bait the trap and keep her cover, all it took was watching her have two amazing orgasms to drive him to the point of no return. His eyes on her the whole time, Sakura poured him one of his favorite sakes; adding three drops of poison in the moment her back was turned to him as she grabbed a tray to set the bottle and two cups on.

She sashayed her way across the room and sat in the empty seat next to Matsu before pouring some of the sweet sake first for him and then herself. He took the first cup in one go without taking his eyes off of her face. Sakura poured him a second and then finally looked up at him with mischief glowing in her eyes as she took a sip of her own drink.

It was one of the privileges of being a certified poison expert, she was immune to every known poison that a person could become immune to.

"Tonight Haruko." Sakura smiled seductively at him as she snaked one hand under the table to slide her hand up his thigh.

"Do we have to wait that long?" Her voice was almost breathless as she played the vixen Matsu wanted her to be.

He grit his teeth for a moment before grabbing her hand from under the table. "Yes." The word was strained, but adamant. "You're indulging more than usual Haruko."

Sakura's eyes lit with fire that he saw as nothing more than a woman who felt challenged. "Are you _upset_ Matsu?" She leaned forward and whispered huskily in his ear. "I'm feeling a bit… greedy tonight. Don't you want to indulge me? Indulge _in_ me?"

Matsu released her hand and drank another cup without his eyes leaving hers. Sakura smiled and took another drink, licking her lips after as if it were the best thing she had ever tasted and poured him another cup. Again he downed it without taking his eyes off of her, watching a satisfied smile grow on her face. It was then that the poison began to take effect.

She watched in satisfaction as his eyes suddenly went wide. The first effect of the poison was to paralyze the limbs, and the second was to cause the tongue to swell until the airway was blocked off all together. It wasn't in Sakura's nature to enjoy another person's pain, but she made an exception for Matashi Matsu. She'd heard about the things he had done to earn his S-class criminal status. To women… to _children_…

…

…

She smiled as he suffocated to death, not nearly painful enough for his particular breed of trash; but she believed in being effective over vindictive. And being poisoned by the object of his lust was just a little bit of both. After a moment she felt a presence next to her and she finally allowed her eyes to leave the now dead man to look up at Kakashi in smug satisfaction.

"That's it?"

Sakura laughed at the displeased look on his face. "I just needed him to be too distracted to bother using his chakra to detect the poison in his drink, it _is_ one of his specialties you know."

Kakashi hadn't known, but that didn't matter now. "Geeze, I was looking forward to stretching my limbs a bit. I don't get to leave the village all that often you know."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of chairs scraping across the floor as Matsu's drunken cronies finally realized that something was wrong. "Well, since you need the work-out, why don't you take care of these guys while I tie up loose ends, hm?" And with a quick-step they were off.

In an instant Kakashi had pulled Katou's sword and half of his opponents were dead before they even knew who to attack. The other half took him a few more minutes, but all in all they were not even enough to give him a proper stretch- let alone a work-out.

Sakura had taken a moment in the confusion to dispel the genjutsu she had over the bar tender. It had been a strong one, strong enough that he wouldn't even remember what his 'wife' had looked like after she left him- and then she was sashaying out the door before Kakashi's final opponent had even entered the fray. Across the room Sakura's eyes met Kakashi's and she tilted her head slightly to the side with a smirk.

_See?_

Kakashi had never been one to admit to any weakness in his personal life; but if he were, he would admit that the triumphant look on her face was sexy as hell. For a moment he was overcome by the sense memory of how it had felt to devour those smirking lips… and then he quashed the thought with a frown. It was _not_ the time for such things. And with that, he dispatched the tall muscle-man that was the only goon left standing.

After he wiped the blood from his sword Kakashi looked around the bar at all the silently cowering civilians; Kaname Katou's legend had just grown again. With a sigh Kakashi sheathed Katou's blade and disappeared in a swirl of belladonna. It was a 'signature' of sorts, anyone seeing this scene that knew anything about assassins would know who was behind this- even if they didn't know how to contact him.

* * *

"That was a bit anti-climatic."

"Disappointed?"

Kakashi shrugged "A bit. All of the deaths will have Kaname's name on them, but it was far more reminiscent to slaughtering sheep than assassinating a high-profile killer."

After leaving Midori both Sakura and Kakashi had gone off to re-assume their normal appearances before meeting up again at the nearest Anbu outpost; it was unmanned but stocked with provisions in case of emergency. It was an easy place to regroup.

Sakura bestowed Kakashi with a look of sympathy. "Well I won't tell if you don't."

Kakashi took a half-hearted swipe at her head before sitting back against the tree he was currently under and Sakura ducked under his arm and then settled herself beside him on the ground. For a while each was content to be silent, lost in their own thoughts.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Sakura's voice was quiet against the backdrop of the forest.

"Hn, eight years… It's been hard enough finding time to perform solo missions, a team mission would have been almost impossible."

"Still…" Sakura turned to him with an almost shy smile. "Maybe sometime you could send me and Naruto out on a mission before ducking out to join us as Kaname or one of your other surely numerous aliases."

Kakashi winced "_Must_ we include Naruto?"

Sakura laughed and nudged his shoulder "Of course, Naruto's the entertainment. What would we do to entertain ourselves without him?" Her words hung in the air for a moment before Kakashi cleared his throat and looked away, causing Sakura to gasp in surprise and hit him a little harder. "_That's_ what you think of at a time like this?"

Turning back to her with his usual crinkle eyed smile that was mostly covered by his mask and hitai-ate Kakashi replied. "To be fair, it's been less than a day. The images are still too… _fresh_. As a man still in his prime it would be stranger if I didn't think of _that_ at a 'time like this.'"

Scoffing lightly under her breath Sakura turned slightly away from him. "Is forty really considered being in your 'prime' these days?"

Kakashi's back stiffened and he turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "Thirty-nine."

"What?" Sakura turned back to him in confused surprise.

"I'm thirty-nine. I still have four months before hitting forty…"

His voice trailed off into grumbling and Sakura stared at him for a full thirty seconds before she burst out laughing. "Hahaha, are you really splitting hairs over _four months_? Hahahaha."

Kakashi frowned at her and turned away again. "Let's see how you feel when _you're_ thirty-nine and someone calls you forty. I still have plenty of living left to do and I'm stronger now than at any other point in my life. I'm in my _prime._" The last was said with a no-nonsense attitude that finally got Sakura to stop laughing.

Turning back to him fully Sakura put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course you are, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't use any excuse to keep my overly-famous friend from getting a big head?" Sakura nudged him with a smile and he turned back to her with his usual smile once again.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence until Sakura finally pulled out the camp's sleeping bag and lay down while Kakashi took first watch. After some minutes when he was sure that she was asleep Kakashi grinned. He had just successfully deflected a very uncomfortable subject with a slightly silly one and by the time they reached Konoha Sakura would have either forgotten the whole thing or written it off as not worth pursuing. Life was good.

* * *

The next morning (after Sakura gave him a cursory exam to be sure he hadn't injured himself) they left early, each going a different direction. Kakashi was headed home to quietly re-assume his responsibilities, but Sakura still had work to do in Rain. Before she could leave hearing range Kakashi called after her. "Try not to take anymore unauthorized assignments before coming home; I have enough to worry about without imagining you wreaking havoc across the country side."

Sakura turned around to scowl at him but he had already disappeared in a puff of smoke. For a moment she looked after him, then she shook her head with a smile and took off. She had a long way to go today and when she got there she would need to write two reports, one for each Hokage. Thinking of Kakashi…

An image of him in the throes of passion flitted through her mind and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever find herself in his bed (or on his carpet) again.

Shaking her head Sakura dismissed the random thought from her mind. She wasn't naive enough to think that it meant anything more than what it was; but that didn't mean she wouldn't take out the memory from time to time… Shaking her head again Sakura took a deep breath and concentrated on the path before her, pushing off with even more strength. If she couldn't clear her head by will alone she'd just have to push herself hard enough that she didn't have an option anymore. It was a trick that Kakashi had taught her…

"Damn it!" And with that she was off in a burst of chakra, moving too fast to think of anything else without risking a long fall down.

* * *

When Kakashi finally got back to Konoha two days later it was to find Tenzo (disguised as him) shirking his (Kakashi's) duties and reading on the roof of the bakery. The cover said Icha-Icha, but Kakashi would bet money that it was nothing more than the book's jacket over something more benign. In truth, the populace would be surprised to know that Kakashi actually spent most of his time either doing his paperwork or assigning missions. He was usually done with his work early in point of fact, but since Tenzo refused to do Kakashi's work for him- this was what he usually did when Kakashi went on one of his 'outings.' No one had called them out on it in all eight years Kakashi had been Hokage.

With a quick henge Kakashi stepped out onto the roof and gave a two fingered wave. "Kakashi-senpai."

Tenzo (henged as Kakashi) looked up from his book with a look of mild annoyance. "Tenzo…" Standing he pocketed 'Icha-Icha' in his back hip pouch and, giving a good imitation of Kakashi's normal eye crinkle smile, took off for the Hokage residence.

Once they were both ensconced in the safety of his home they both dropped the henges. Tenzo (now looking like himself once more) glared daggers at Kakashi. "Two weeks."

Kakashi raised his hands as if to fend off and attack. "Now Tenzo…"

"You _promised_ me that it would only be four days this time, and then you were a week and a half late!" His voice rose as he spoke until the last word was practically shouted and he was breathing heavily.

Kakashi sighed and slumped his shoulders as if in defeat. "There were… complications…" And before Tenzo could start in again he continued. "_Sakura_ complicated things."

"Oh… wait, Sakura's helping with Ame's reconstruction- what could she have to do with anything?"

"She was 'helping' by taking on a mission in place of Ame's people. As she put it 'to keep the right people doing the right jobs and keep the reconstruction moving smoothly.'" Kakashi felt no guilt in blaming Sakura for his delay. Despite the fact that he had already been more than a week late when he ran into her… After all, he needed Tenzo to perform the same service in future and of all the people in the village, Sakura was the least likely to hear about any grumblings from Tenzo. She was the best med-nin in the village, and Tenzo had more than enough self preservation skills to risk Sakura's ire.

"I'll just say that Sakura was under deep cover, right in the middle of my target's spider web of awareness." That was close enough to the truth, right?

It must have been good enough for Tenzo in any case. After a moment of staring at Kakashi, as if to ascertain the validity of his story, he simply threw his hands in the air and headed for the door- more than happy to go about as himself again.

Kakashi waited until the door had closed before putting away his gear and taking a shower. By the time he was done it was already dusk, but with a sigh he headed to the Hokage tower. After all, he was _very_ behind on his work.

* * *

What do you guys think? Worth not killing me for the crazy-long turnaround time? Well, I have a present for all of you! It will only be a few days for the next chapter! No, seriously. I've gotten it back from Jenke88 already and I'm just putting the finishing touches on it now!

Review? ^_^v


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

Seriously, thank you. All of you who have reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read my stories- you really make it worth writing! Also, thank you to Juniper11 for looking over this for me! I'm too much of a perfectionist to send my chapters out without a second set of eyes looking for my blind spots.

And as always: Please **read and review****,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

* * *

Chapter 4: In the Present

Sakura was determined to make it through her rounds with her usual calm efficiency. The fact that she had had to stop an examination at one point to run to the bathroom and vomit didn't deter her, but the thoughts running through her head did. _Was Kakashi angry? What right did he have to be angry anyway? Would he talk to her about this, or would he just avoid her like he had so many other things in the past?_

Shaking her head to clear it of these thoughts Sakura walked up to Yumi at the circulation desk. After the way she had treated her four days ago Sakura had made a point to be at least mildly pleasant towards the girl. It wasn't her fault that Sakura was knocked up after all. Handing over the clip board in her hand Sakura smiled and asked for her next patient.

"Um, before that…"

Sakura looked at her face, reading clearly that she was uncomfortable about something. "What is it Yumi?"

Looking almost bashful the girl began again. "Before you continue your rounds the Hokage has requested your presence."

Sakura could feel her back stiffen and face go blank at the mention of the one man she was trying desperately not to think about. "The Hokage can wait until I've finished my rounds Yumi, I'm sure he's busy dealing with more important matters anyway."

Yumi's eyes went wide and were locked on something over Sakura's left shoulder. It was then that Sakura detected his presence.

"Actually, I'm not."

Sakura turned to face him as her stomach knotted painfully. He was dressed the way he always was these days. He still wore the regular jounin black long-sleeved shirt and pants with bandages at his thigh and up his calves, and he wore the same mask he had been wearing for as long as she had known him. The only differences in his appearance was that since he had become Hokage he had taken to wearing a white, open, ankle length coat emblazoned with the symbol of Fire on his back. In fact the only thing that might be considered out of place was his still dripping wet hair from his morning shower.

Sakura opened her mouth in an attempt to say something, anything; but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry to pull you away from your patients, but this _is_ important. If you'd prefer not to leave the hospital however we could just commandeer a conference room."

Sakura shook her head almost automatically. "No…" She cleared her throat and tried again. "No, if it's that important then we'd be better off going somewhere more secure."

Kakashi nodded sagely. "Hai, hai. You're right as usual Sakura-sensei." Sakura's jaw tightened as he took a step out of the way and gestured towards the main entrance of the hospital. "After you."

Frozen in shock for a moment, Sakura forced herself to shake it off and move forward before she could draw attention to herself. Or at least _more_ attention than she already had by having the Hokage come to look for her personally.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Sakura actually bothered to pay attention to where they were going. She found herself standing at the entrance the Hokage estate, looking up the long walkway to the three story white building. It was large, too large for a single person. But then, it wasn't intended to be used by a single person. The estate was home to the Hokage (and their family if they had one), the estate's staff, and any visiting dignitaries.

So she supposed that it wasn't really a waste of space, but right now it felt like the most imposing building she had ever stepped foot in.

Despite her nervousness however, she still followed Kakashi without complaint through the entrance and all the way to the Hokage's private living room. 'Private' because there was a second 'formal' living room for important guests. But Sakura knew that Kakashi had always felt more at ease in this room. It was more comfortable and less likely to have anyone entering without getting permission first.

She had been here on more than one occasion when Kakashi would give in to the pressure of his peers and throw a party, or to patch him up on the rare occasion that he was able to sneak out of the village long enough to do a mission himself. Tenzo and Sakura were the only people he ever told. Tenzo because he would need someone to cover for him, and Sakura because she would have killed him if she had found out only after he had let something seemingly little become a bigger problem.

It was an agreement of sorts that they had made during his first year as Hokage. Kakashi had gone on one of his 'secret' missions having only informed Tenzo, and had come home with nothing more than bruising- or at least that's how it had seemed to him until he had passed out in the middle of Sakura's mission debriefing. It turned out that he had had some relatively bad internal bleeding.

Sakura had healed him and then pinched a nerve in his neck that sent blistering pain through his skull. She had left him that way for the rest of the day and only came back to heal him after he had promised to never go without some sort of check-up again. The only stipulation had been that she did it here, where the general populous couldn't listen in at the door. It seemed hard to believe that that had been almost eight years ago…

Sitting at her usual spot on the couch Sakura couldn't help taking the small pillow and holding it against her stomach. She felt vulnerable in a way she couldn't remember feeling before; and right now, Kakashi held all the cards.

* * *

Kakashi settled himself on the opposite end of the couch and faced her. The look on her face threatened to break his heart. Sakura wasn't the type of woman to show her vulnerability to just anyone though, and despite hating himself for making her feel that way in the first place- he also felt good to know that she still regarded him highly enough to do so.

"Sakura," She flinched at the sound of his voice but looked back up at him after a moment with a bit more determination. "I'm sorry about how I reacted yesterday, I was surprised and I took out my frustration on you. I trust you enough to believe that everything you said was true, but I hope you understand that I'm the type to question and double-check. I wanted to know how sure you were."

He was handling her with kid gloves and he was sure she knew it too, but he didn't know how he was supposed to speak to her without initiating an attack. He had figured that Sakura knew him well enough to figure out that much on her own though, so at the very least she would probably know that he was _trying._

"So the question on the table is what are _we_ going to do?"

Sakura swallowed as she tried to gather her thoughts. She had thought about this very conversation a thousand times over, but really, she had only been thinking about the worst-case-scenarios. The idea of Kakashi actually sitting down and talking to her the way she had wanted to the first time was one that she hadn't dared to consider. She felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I… I don't know. I'm scared Kakashi, I wasn't planning on having to worry about this for a few years yet." Her voice shook slightly at the end of her words, but she was looking him in the eye now. Gaining back some of her usual determination as he gazed at her calmly, as he listened intently.

"Honestly, I guess I've always wanted children, but I wanted the whole package. It didn't even cross my mind to raise a child alone before just a few days ago." She barked a laugh and gave a half smile. "Just my luck I guess. After all those years of pining after Sasuke and planning to help revive the Uchiha bloodline, I get knocked up on a mission by a man who wanted to _not_ have children badly enough to have a vasectomy."

Another hollow laugh escaped her before a couple tears slipped down her cheek and she was forced to brush them away with a wobbly smile. "Hormones, really I can't seem to stop crying these days."

Kakashi had never liked when a woman cried, it made him feel like a gawky teenager whose hands and feet were too big- clumsy. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with his hands… "Sakura," Kakashi waited until she looked up at him. "I didn't get the vasectomy because I didn't ever want to have children." He reached out to hold her hand as her eyes went wide, acutely aware that doing so felt awkward.

"You didn't…"

"It was for a mission. It was going to be a long-term undercover mission and part of my cover involved being a womanizer… and the council didn't want any silver-haired children born when I was playing the part of a black-haired killer." He let her absorb everything for a moment before continuing.

"It had actually been my intention to have it reversed one day but… I guess I just never got around to doing the whole 'settling down' thing." He smiled almost sheepishly and took his hand from hers to scratch the back of his head while he waited for her to say something.

Sakura was baffled. She didn't know if she was more amused by his perpetual laziness coming back around to kick him in the ass, or relieved that he at least wasn't 100% against children, but in either case she smiled. It was the most sincere smile she'd given in four days.

"I'm glad… I'm so glad that you aren't asking me to have an abortion, or telling me that you don't care. I guess that was my biggest fear; that you would just tell me to figure it out for myself and have nothing further to do with it."

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura, you should know that I would never…"

"I didn't say that it was a rational fear." She cut him off, awkwardly patting his knee for a moment before clutching her hands together in her lap. "I'm just glad…"

Kakashi's brow unfurled and he sighed, he hadn't expected this to be easy but… finding the words was harder than he had thought it would be. He had thought that he had already decided what he was going to say, but he found himself throwing it out to ask what he really wanted to know.

"Sakura, do you _want_ to have this child?"

She looked shocked by his question, but she took a few minutes to think about it; allowing her eyes to trace the pattern of his couch as she gathered her words. When she looked back up at him he was happy to see less fear, and a little more of the determined fire in her eyes that she was known for. And as she looked at him her hands unclenched and her shoulders straitened.

"I don't think I can kill it Kakashi. Maybe if it had been one of those men from the mission… but I don't think I could kill your child for anything."

Kakashi smiled and leaned forward, gripping her hand in first one and then both of his own. "Thank you Sakura…"

For a long moment they stayed like that, simply enjoying the warmth that came from being able to trust another person with their lives; but then Kakashi pulled away again. He was still looking her in the eye, letting her know with the intensity of his stare that he still had something important to say.

"I'm not sure how to say all the things that have been going through my head since yesterday, but I'm going to try. First, I want to be this child's father- I know all too well what it's like to have an 'absent father' and I don't want to do that to my own child… Also, I know that you wanted the 'whole package deal' as it were, and that this child could throw a wrench in you finding a man who would make you happy; so if you want, I would be willing to raise the child by myself."

Sakura's mouth had dropped open in shock as he spoke, but she couldn't gather her thoughts quickly enough to interrupt him.

"As Hokage I have more than enough trustworthy people to help me when I need help, and I wouldn't need to worry about daycare or baby-sitters, or financial problems. And you could move on; whether that meant as a part-time mother, or as aunt Sakura, would be up to you." For a long moment they could do nothing but stare at each other, both contemplating what his proposition would really mean; and neither quite sure if it was at all feasible. "I'm not going to lie to you Sakura, I'm scared too. I don't know what to do with a child, and I worry that I'll do something to mess everything up… but do you know what I'm _not_ worried about?"

Sakura shook her head, almost unable to believe his words and Kakashi smiled his usual eye crinkle. "That we can make this work."

A sob choked its way out of her throat before she could stop it and she slumped forward until her forehead landed on his shoulder, and then the damn holding back her emotions broke completely. Kakashi looked at her with a hint of fear in his eye, she was crying again.

Part of him was still worried about how everything was going to turn out, and as he awkwardly patted her shoulder he hoped that he had brought Sakura at least a hint of comfort. Neither of them had asked for this situation, but at least with both of them working together everything would work out for the better, eventually.

* * *

After crying for longer than she would care to admit Sakura was able to push herself away from Kakashi's shoulder, holding his sleeve for a moment before letting go. She looked up into his eye, it was dark- a fathomlessly dark grey, and she couldn't stop the smile that lit her face. Then, without a single thought she leaned forward and kissed his cheek above his mask before leaning back and beaming at the startled look that graced his visage.

"Thank you Kakashi." Sakura gathered herself to stand and made to walk out of the room, but before she could pass him Kakashi took hold of her elbow, just tightly enough to make her pause.

"Sakura, where are you going?" She smiled again and patted his hand.

"I'm going back to the hospital Hokage-sama." She laughed lightly at his bemused expression and leaned down so their eyes were level again. "You already gave me the thing I wanted most, a real choice… But you know, we have the next eight months to work out the details."

His hand fell limply from her arm and she walked out of the room humming.

_Is this what they're talking about when they say that pregnant women have mood swings?_

* * *

It wasn't until later that night while eating dinner with Ino that Sakura really considered what Kakashi had proposed. _Kakashi? Raise the child by himself?_

It sounded ludicrous when she said it, but she knew that the offer had been genuine. Kakashi wasn't really the type to make such important, life changing proposals without being completely serious about them. And that made her pause as well; he wasn't just doing this because he felt bad for her was he? No. He had said that he wanted children… Or at least that's what she had assumed he meant; but really, he had only said that he didn't specifically _not_ want to have children.

Sakura groaned and dropped her head into her hands in frustration. Nothing concerning the copy-nin was ever easy!

"…Sakura… Earth to Sakura!" Sakura's head shot out of her hands and she looked up at Ino who was practically shouting and waving her arms in an attempt to capture her friend's attention. "Geez Forehead, did the aliens leave your brain in a jar when they brought you back from space or are you just a ditz?"

Sakura scowled at Ino's words but couldn't really refute them either so she settled for glaring at the blonde until she sat back and settled down. Then Sakura allowed a smile to cross her lips, Ino was the person she needed most right now. When in doubt, ask the woman who knew everyone's secrets.

Now, if she could just figure out an innocuous way to bring it up… "Sorry Pig, what were you saying?"

Ino sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I was _asking_ you if you wanted me to set you up with someone for the wedding next week."

Sakura's voice went calm and flat as she tried to hide her confusion. "Ah, yes the wedding…"

Ino's face changed rapidly to worried and then her jaw dropped in surprise. "Oh. My. Kami-sama. You forgot about Naruto and Hinata's wedding?!"

Sakura winced as she realized that she _had_. True, she'd been a bit preoccupied of late; but that was really no excuse to forget her teammate's _wedding_.

"Seriously Forehead, one teammate is getting married, another is the best man, and the third will be officiating. How could you possibly forget that?"

"I've had a lot on my plate lately…" Suddenly an idea came to her and Sakura leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. The best way to get Ino off of a subject was to give her an even juicier one, and this might just let her kill two birds with one stone. "Kakashi got a girl pregnant."

Instead of the loud outburst Sakura was expecting, Ino sat across from her with her lips pressed so tightly together they were almost blue. After she managed to take a deep breath, letting it out before taking another, her eyes pierced into Sakura as if she could set the girl on fire by staring hard enough.

"How far along are you?"

The words were a slap to the face and Sakura's spine snapped straight in shock. "How?…"

Ino sighed and slumped forward until her elbows rested on the table and her face fell into her hands. "Oh Kami-sama, I was guessing…" Looking up from her hands Ino found Sakura had closed off the emotions from her face again and was looking down at the table as if the wood's grain were the most interesting thing in the world.

Reaching forward Ino patted Sakura's tense hand in consolation. "If it makes you feel any better, I only noticed because I know you _so_ well… You've been weird this week. You were avoiding Kakashi, but you didn't show any of the frustration you usually do when you're upset with one of your teammates. I invited you to go drinking at your favorite bar after a long surgery when you had the next day off, but you turned me down. You forgot _Naruto's_ wedding, and when I tried to ask about _why_ you changed the subject to something more _interesting_. _And_ you knew something this big before_ I_ did."

Sakura said nothing but continued to stare at the table as a million excuses flashed through her mind and were discarded… Ino knew her _entirely_ too well. "It was an accident." Her eyes finally left the table to look at Ino through the tears beginning to brim and distort her vision. "We…" Her breath caught on her words and she closed her eyes for a moment to think; she _couldn't_ tell Ino the details of the mission, or even that Kakashi had left the village.

"We were just… _helping_ each other. When I asked about a condom he said he'd had a vasectomy."

At this Ino stood with clenched fists "Why that sleazy…" She cut off and looked down to Sakura's hand that was clutching her own, eyes wide with panic.

"He _had_ Ino." Confused but still willing to listen, Ino sat again, waiting. A sigh of resignation escaped Sakura's lips and then she began. "He _did_ have a vasectomy, but they never did the post examination due to a mission getting moved up. Kakashi had no idea that a vasectomy even _could_ reverse itself, let alone that his had… So don't kill him alright?" With the last she gave a fragile smile that made Ino take a deep breath before smiling lopsidedly herself.

"Okay I won't kill him, yet."

Sakura smiled partially at Ino's antics, but also at the relief of having someone to talk to about this… even if she _did_ have to leave out a few details.

* * *

Review?


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of its characters, that right is reserved for Masashi Kishimoto.

Seriously, thank you. All of you who have reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read my stories- you really make it worth writing! Also, thank you to Juniper11 for looking over this for me! I'm too much of a perfectionist to send my chapters out without a second set of eyes looking for my blind spots.

And as always: Please **read and review****,** reviews are the #1 best motivation in the world! Criticism welcome! ^_^v

* * *

Chapter 5: The Machinations of Ino

"So… how big?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Seriously Ino, I tell you that I slept with Kakashi and _that's_ your question?"

Ino pouted. "Come _on_ Forehead, you've _got_ to know that everyone wants to know."

This time Sakura scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I _don't_ think everyone wants to know that, and I _really_ don't think that you need to know."

"Forehead," Ino leaned forward with a stern expression. "you _know_ that if you don't tell me I'm just going to find out another way."

Sakura sighed, "I'm not going to win this, am I?" Ino just smiled. Rolling her eyes Sakura held out her hands.

"Hm, not bad. I've had bigger myself, but if they don't know how to use _it,_ it doesn't make a bit of difference. Does he…"

"Yes Pig."

Ino smiled a Cheshire grin. "And what did he…"

"Enough!" Sakura cut her off again, not wanting to even hear the question. "You _don't_ need to know, I'm _not_ going to tell you, and even if you find someone who can tell you what a night with the Copy-nin was like I can almost guarantee that their night did _not_ go the same way mine did." Settling back and making herself comfortable again Sakura mumbled. "Let's just say that he exceeded expectations and leave it at that."

Ino sighed and leaned back with a dreamy look in her eyes. "That's high praise from _you._"

Sakura sat forward and glared into Ino's eyes. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean exactly?"

Ino waved off the question and changed the subject before Sakura could really get fired up. "So what did he say?" Sakura looked as if she had been blind-sided and Ino grinned. "When you told him, what did he say? I mean, you _did_ tell him,_ right?_"

A nod of Sakura's head was the only response Ino received at first but after a minute of silence she cleared her throat. "He… at first he was confused and, well, he said some things that he didn't really mean but apologized for later. Then, he asked me if I _wanted_ the baby and when I said that I didn't think I could go through with an abortion he… he _thanked_ me."

Ino looked like she had just smelled spoilt milk. "He _thanked _you?"

Sakura nodded. "He thanked me and then he told me that he wanted to be the baby's father."

Practically jumping from her seat Ino grabbed both Sakura's shoulders. "Holy shit, are you telling me that Hatake Kakashi _proposed_ to you?"

"What? No!" Sakura looked at Ino as if she had lost her mind. "He just wants to be a part of the child's life, he even offered to raise it himself if I didn't want to."

Ino's face went from an excited flush to shell-shocked white and she dropped lifelessly back into her chair. "He offered to…"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, he said that he had intended to have the vasectomy reversed someday- but just hadn't gotten to 'settling down' yet. He said that if I wanted to have the 'full package deal' someday, he could raise the child himself since he's always in the village and has many resources as Hokage, and I could decide if I wanted to be a part-time mom or Aunt Sakura or, whatever… What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ino's face crumpled into one of deep pity. "Oh Sakura, I'm so sorry."

"What?" Ino would have found the confused look on Sakura's face to be comical if it had been under any other circumstance. "I seriously have _no_ idea what you're apologizing for Ino."

Ino took a deep breath, seeming to prepare herself for an incredibly onerous task. "Well, it's basically his way of saying that there will never be anything else between you isn't it? I mean, sure he's willing to take responsibility, maybe he's even almost happy about it, but if he's offering to raise the child so _you_ can have the 'full package' it means that he's not willing to be a part of it, doesn't it? I mean, you know him better than me, but did he even _hint_ that he might be interested in trying to be together?"

"No…" Sakura felt as if everything in the world had gone still; she hadn't looked at it like that at all- and now she didn't know how to feel.

On the one hand, she hadn't even thought of the possibility. She didn't love him as more than a friend and the feeling was mutual; but on the other, what was wrong with her that he would feel the need to close off the possibility that they _could_ be a 'they' in the future? That thought made her feel a sudden stab of possessiveness followed closely by self directed anger. There was _no_ reason for her to feel that way, it was stupid. Kakashi had offered something that most men would never consider, and here she was getting upset that he didn't propose? What. The. Hell.

"Ino, stop." With a sigh Sakura's face planted into her palm. "It doesn't matter. I _told_ you: We aren't in love, we aren't dating, we didn't have a romantic liaison- we were just helping each other out one night and there was an unexpected consequence." She looked back up at Ino in exhaustion. "He's offering more than 90% of what other men would in his situation, and I'm _not_ going to hold it against him that he didn't offer more. Not when I didn't even _want _more to begin with."

Ino smiled sadly and patted Sakura's now limp hand. "Alright Forehead, just forget I said anything. You're right, he's offering you more than most women even hope for…" She stopped talking then, afraid that she would say something to upset her friend even more. No, _Sakura_ wasn't the one she needed to talk to…

Suddenly another thought occurred to her. "Sakura? Have you told your mom yet?" Her words were met with a wordless groan and the sound of a forehead hitting the table. "I'll take that as a no."

* * *

The next morning found Kakashi still at his desk from the previous day, but content with the mostly sleepless night now that he was _finally_ caught up with the work that had piled up during the two weeks he had been away. His assistant had even come in early with Kakashi's favorite breakfast of miso and eggplant (the boy had been angling for a raise lately). But before he could take more than a sip of miso his door came crashing open and in stomped one Yamanaka Ino, with Kakashi's assistant trying ineffectually to pull her back.

"It's fine Kino, just close the door behind you." The boy looked at Kakashi like a puppy that just had its nose hit with a newspaper for chewing on a tasty shoe, but he said nothing- simply closing the door behind him.

After the door had closed Ino met Kakashi's gaze. "Kano."

"What?"

"Your assistant's name, Akimichi Kano."

Kakashi nodded sagely. "Ah, that would explain why all his attempts to suck-up involve food."_It also explains why he looks like a kicked puppy every time I call him… How long has he been here anyway, a week? A month?_ Kakashi called his attention back to the present before Ino could notice his lapse. "Now, what can I do for you Ino-san?"

For a moment Ino's lips pressed together and she looked like she was about to hit him, and then her face was a blank slate- a disconcerting change when dealing with Ino. "Would it be possible to ward the room Hokage-sama? What I came to talk about is… of a personal nature. Involving a _very good friend_ _of mine_."

Kakashi didn't need a clarification; of course Ino was here about Sakura- little else would cause her to storm his office like it was a battleground. He immediately stood and activated the wards that would render the room sound-proof; there was little he needed less than rumors about him and Sakura flooding the streets before they had even decided what to do. When he finished, Ino and he stood facing each other, each looking for something in the other's countenance- and left unsatisfied that they had found it.

"If Sakura hadn't insisted that you _didn't_ take advantage of her I'd punch you into next week, Hokage or no." Ino's words surprised Kakashi, he supposed that the mission details (including the fact that there had been a mission at all) were classified- but he had never guessed that Sakura would keep that same secrecy with her best friend under the circumstances.

"Sakura describes it as you both 'helping each other,' but I know enough about men to know what that usually means. 'He wanted sex and I didn't see a reason to say no.'" Her blazing eyes burned into his single one and Kakashi didn't know what to say. He'd never even considered that most people (aka: everyone who didn't know the details of the mission) wouldn't just see this as a 'field accident.' It never occurred to him that the rest of the village might view this as him taking advantage of her… or even _her_ trying to 'work' her way to the top so to speak. Now that he thought about it, since they hadn't been seen dating or even just spending 'more than usual' amounts of time together, he realized that most people would quite naturally think ill of one or both of them.

"Well I don't care about all that, Sakura's a big girl and if she says that you didn't take advantage of her _I_ can't argue the point. I'm here because Sakura needs help and _you're_ going to help her."

Kakashi was baffled. "I already told Sakura that I would support any decision…"

Ino cut him off. "No, she needs help now- today." Pleased to see a look of concern on Kakashi's face, Ino continued her offensive. "Sakura has to tell her mother today, and _you_ are going to go with her."

Kakashi could count on one hand the number of times he had seriously feared the future: When his father had died leaving him an orphan, when the Yondaime had passed away, when the Sandaime had passed away, and the day they had sworn him into office (the close call before that didn't count, since the alternative had been so much worse). But now he'd added a sixth, the day he met with Haruno Sakura's mother to tell her that he had inadvertently knocked up her daughter.

Ino smiled grimly. "I can see that you are justly concerned…" Her smile dropped into a scowl and she spoke in a no-nonsense tone. "Just know that if you _don't_ go, 'reasonable' excuses or not, I'll tell the village my own little version of how this happened. And let me tell you; you think that people avoid you now, that they look at you strangely when you walk around reading your little porn novel? That's nothing compared to how it will be after. By the time _I'm_ through you'd be lucky if parents even let their children _try_ to become new gennin. After hearing how Sakura's gennin teacher knocked her up then left her high and dry, and how Sakura just couldn't say no to her respected leader…" Kakashi's face went white, and though Ino couldn't see that, she _could_ see the way his eye twitched and his whole body went still. "_Yeah_, I think you get the picture…"

Kakashi stared at Ino, for a moment having no words to express the chaos going through his mind. "Are you _threatening_ the leader of your village right now Yamanaka-san?"

Spine snapping straight, Ino raised her chin in determination. "Yes Hokage-sama, I believe I _am._"

He managed to keep her gaze for another minute before he waved her off with a sigh. "Alright Ino… tell Sakura that I'll meet her at her mother's house at 5 and we'll go in together…"

Ino smiled brightly. "Don't worry Kakashi-_sensei_," her emphasis on his formal title dripped with sarcasm. "Sakura has one of the most _reasonable_ mothers in the village… I mean, one of the most reasonable mothers among the _nin_ of Konoha." Her smile turned eerily malicious. "Either way, you'll survive… assuming you're on time that is." And with a wink over her shoulder she was out the door, closing it again behind her with a bang.

Kakashi watched her leave and thought about all the fates worse than death that he would _rather_ face today than the wrath of one Haruno Hanako… it was a _long_ list.

* * *

There weren't many things in life that Sakura feared, but this particularly malicious smile was one of them. It always proceeded trouble for the receiver of said smile that was impossible to be avoided. If Sakura didn't cooperate from the beginning, Ino would _find_ a way to get whatever it was that she wanted. Unless it was a matter of life and death Sakura had given up fighting her on these types of things _years_ ago.

"What do you want Pig?"

Ino pushed her way past Sakura and into the living room of Sakura's apartment. "You don't have work today?"

Watching as Ino stalked about the room before sitting herself imperiously in the cream armchair that was a matched set with the cream sofa and glass coffee table, Sakura shook her head. "No, and you obviously knew that or you would have gone to the hospital to find me, and _they_ would have told you that I didn't work today. Just drop the act, I'm too tired for it. What do you want?"

Ino smiled again. "You haven't spoken to your mother yet?"

Sakura's face went white as a sheet. "No… Ino, _please_ tell me that you didn't take it upon yourself to tell her for me."

Ino scowled. "Do you think I'm suicidal? Your mother's the type to kill the messenger!"

Sighing with relief Sakura sat down at the end of the couch closest to Ino. "Okay, so long as it's not that… what do you want me to do?"

Ino's lip twitched but she managed to keep herself from smiling. "I want you to tell her at 5 o'clock, or more precisely, I want you on her doorstep ready to knock at 5 o'clock- but don't go in until at least 5:01."

All the relief that she had felt washed away with Ino's words. "Ino… what did you _do_?"

Flipping her hair over her shoulder without looking Sakura in the eye Ino said offhandedly "Nothing."

"_Pig._"

Ino turned to meet Sakura's eyes, and Sakura was surprised to see the set and determined fire in her gaze. "I _helped_."

There was no talking to her after that, she simply ate some of Sakura's cookies and went about her day; leaving Sakura with the rest of the day to worry over whatever it was that Ino had done to 'help' her. She was under no illusions, she would _not _be pleased with whatever it was, but she could tell that failing in this task would cause Ino to take matters into her own hands- and that was just too terrifying of a thought to contemplate.

* * *

Kakashi was known for being late, it was something that he often used to his advantage to scope out a situation before going in or just to give himself a few more minutes to get ready; but this was one time that he didn't dare to. He wasn't sure why Ino wanted him to go with Sakura today, but he knew that being late would give her just the excuse she seemed to be itching for to go spreading tales around the village.

Honestly, if it were just his own reputation at stake Kakashi wouldn't care at all what Ino had to say… but this involved both Sakura and the Hokage's reputations as well. It didn't matter that _he_ was currently Hokage, if such a scandal was associated with the title it could damage the credibility of future office holders as well- and the position already involved enough of a balancing act without adding weight to it.

So Kakashi had been careful to be, of all things, _early_ today. He had situated himself on the roof of the neighbor who lived kitty-corner from Sakura's mother, and when Sakura came into view Kakashi sighed with resignation and 'poofed' himself onto Haruno-san's doorstep the moment Sakura stepped up to open the gate. Her reaction wasn't at all what he had expected.

Eyes wide Sakura gasped and grabbed his upper arm in a tight grip. "What are you _doing_ here?!" She shook him slightly, panic welling up in her at the mere sight of Kakashi on her mother's doorstep _right_ before she planned to break the news to her… This _reeked_ of ill intent.

His own eye wide with surprise at Sakura's reaction, Kakashi tried to calm her. "I'm here to help you, you're telling your mother today right?"

'I _helped_.'

Ino's words rang through Sakura's head and her heart beat quickened. "You have to get out of here, right now; this isn't going to _help anyone_. I don't know what Ino said to you to make you come here, but you have to go, now!"

Kakashi stood there staring at Sakura who looked like she was about to start hyperventilating as she shook his arm urgently and darted her eyes quickly around the surrounding area, not at all sure what the right thing to do _was_.

"Sakura?"

The voice came from the street behind them and caused all of Sakura's movements to freeze. After a moment her shoulders slumped and she looked up at Kakashi with sorrowful eyes and whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "Too late..." Flabbergasted, Kakashi watched as Sakura turned to give her mother a wan smile. "Hi Momma…"

* * *

"Haruno-san." Kakashi's bow was small in general, but showed great respect when coming from the leader of the village.

It wasn't their first meeting. Over the years they had met a number of times ranging from Sakura's party for making chuunin, to her father's funeral nine years before, to her birthday party more than a year before…but they never really had an occasion for a protracted conversation.

Hanako's bow was the normal depth used for the Hokage, and though her tone was confused it was also polite. "Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Her eyes shifted from him to Sakura and back again.

Having little idea what else to do, Kakashi cleared his throat and gestured toward the door. "Ah, why don't we talk inside Haruno-san, Sakura was just saying that she wanted to sit down." Kakashi ignored the glare Sakura shot his way and opened the gate of the fence and held it open for the woman as she stepped through with grocery laden arms.

"Well, I don't know if my home is fit for company, but of course you are always welcome Hokage-sama." Hanako called back over her shoulder.

It was an exaggeration on two counts. One, because the woman's house was spotless, as it always was. And two, because he was pretty sure that after today her door would be locked and barred against him.

Kakashi ignored Sakura's glare and ushered her into the house and solicitously brought her to the plush armchair closest to the door, sitting himself at the end of the couch closest to her. He took a small amusement in the fact that she had blushed lightly in apparent embarrassment and turned her face away from him with her arms crossed under her chest. The blush quickly drained from her face however as Hanako finished putting away her groceries and seated herself in the armchair across from Sakura.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably under her mother's scrutiny, uncrossing her legs and then re-crossing them; holding her arms tightly around herself and then resting them on armrests, clenching her fingers. Instinctively Kakashi put his hand over hers, trying to let her know without words that he was there for her. Her eyes looked down at their clasped hands and then back up to his face. He gave her his usual crinkle-eyed smile and Sakura's shoulders finally relaxed as she allowed herself a small smile as well.

"…I see…"

Sakura and Kakashi whipped their heads back to Hanako, both having forgotten somehow that she was there. Hanako's eyes bore into them both and then settled on their clasped hands. Their own eyes followed hers and in an instant they ripped their hands from each others' grasp as if they had been holding fire.

Hanako smiled. "I know I'm a little old-fashioned, but I still have to say I'm impressed. Young men these days don't usually ask for a parent's permission before courting their daughter." Kakashi's shoulders tensed and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura go white as a ghost; but Hanako seemed not to notice.

"Momma…"

Now leaning forward, Hanako clapped her hands and fairly bounced in excitement. "Oh don't worry, I understand that you couldn't tell me before now; a Hokage can never be too careful after all, and a visit to a young lady's home is just the type of thing the whole village would be talking about by the end of the day."

Kakashi felt as if he had just been hit by one of Sakura's chakra infused fists. Ino had said that Sakura's mother was reasonable, but he should have known by the evil gleam in her eye that she had some scheme in mind. "Haruno-san…"

"Don't worry dear, I know my Sakura wouldn't bring home anyone who wasn't worthy of her. I just wish…" Hanako's eyes filled with tears that didn't fall as she looked at her daughter with the saddest smile Kakashi had ever seen. "I just wish your father were here to see this."

It was like a nail being hammered into the lid of a coffin, neither Kakashi nor Sakura could say a word.

"You know, Kyo would have been so pleased…" Hanako laughed merrily. "He actually used to worry that Sakura wouldn't care about upholding our family's tradition of a formal courtship."

A second nail.

"Kyo said that the life a kunoichi was one that demanded a lot of a woman, and that a woman so used to making her own decisions wouldn't care a fig about an 'outdated tradition.' For a man who loved to be right, he would have been _so _pleased to be wrong." Her smile quivered slightly.

A third.

Refusing to just listen anymore Sakura opened her mouth to object, but her voice came out as little more than a croak. "Momma, listen…" The words seemed to clog in her throat and Sakura choked on a sob, unable to continue as she buried her face in the left arm of the chair and cried.

Kakashi couldn't take it. The woman he considered to be one of the strongest kunoichi he had ever known was now sobbing brokenly, unable to speak the words that would break her mother's heart. Maybe _this_ was the reason Ino had been so adamant that he be here, so that _someone_ would be here to speak the words that needed to be said.

"Haruno-san, that's..." Kakashi glanced at Sakura to see her still in tears causing a knot to form in his stomach. "_not_ why we're here today."

Hanako's smile faded with Sakura's tears and with his words became a frown. "Oh?" Her tone was curiously devoid of emotion similar to how Sakura sounded when she tried to hide her feelings…

Kakashi shook off that thought and forced himself to continue. "We came here today to tell you that, well…" There was no gentle way to say it. It was like ripping the bandage off a wound that hadn't yet finished healing. It was just going to hurt. "Sakura's pregnant."

"What!" Hanako shot to her feet as her stare went back and forth between them. "_What did you say!?"_ Her voice was almost choked as she spoke.

Sakura finally looked up at her mother with red, swollen eyes and whispered. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment the world went still. Everything in the room was silent as all three held their breaths as they waited for the others' reactions. And then Hanako gasped and clenched a hand over her heart.

"_Momma!"_

Kakashi jumped to his feet as Hanako swayed where she stood, catching her just as she fell. In an instant Sakura was there as well, her shaking hands glowing green and tears falling down her cheeks unchecked as she looked over her mother with her usual thoroughness. Kakashi watched as Sakura worked to calm her mother even as she was unable to calm herself, and he was suddenly struck by her strength. She really was the strongest woman he had ever known…

Sakura told him to lay her mother on the couch and then shooed him away to give her room to work. Hanako was moaning as she tossed her head from side to side, and Kakashi just stood there helplessly.

After a few harried minutes Hanako was resting peacefully and Sakura was sitting limply at her side, her head resting on the couch cushion as she held her mother's hand. Tears still ran quietly down her cheeks and Kakashi felt his heart ache at the sight of her eyes staring blankly ahead of her. She never should have had to go through something like this, but she was- and it was because of _him_.

No longer worried about her mother Kakashi knelt and picked up Sakura, surprised that she didn't fight him but simply continued to stare sightlessly ahead of her as he brought her into what he remembered to be the guest bedroom. He laid her down on the far side of the bed and pulled the blanket over her, ridiculously relieved when she closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

After a moment of watching her to be sure she was fully asleep, he closed the door quietly behind him as he went back out to the living room. He was slightly surprised to find Hanako awake and watching him. After a moment of silently weighing each other she gestured vaguely in the direction of the chair situated in her line of sight and Kakashi sat down.

"I won't lie, I'm not happy about this." Her voice was quiet, but no longer choked or as raspy as he would have expected it to be. "I told Sakura once that I would disown her if she ever came home pregnant and unmarried, and I _meant_ it. But… she's all I have left, so I'll _try_ to forgive her."

Kakashi didn't know _what_ to say, so he opted to say nothing- nodding vaguely at her words. He remained seated, unsure of what else to do, and stared out into space as Hanako drifted back to sleep and allowed his mind to wander.

_Disown_ her? After her father died Sakura had been devastated, how could she possibly now lose her mother over something like _this?_ It was _absurd_, but he couldn't say things like this didn't happen- it had happened to his own mother after all.

Unlike Sakura, Kaname Tsumi had been a civilian (and _yes_, he _did_ use his mother's family name as an alias- the best lies are close to the truth after all). She hadn't needed to maintain a cover, but had been (as Sakura's mother likely had supposed of _her_ daughter), a step faster in the relationship than her family approved of. His father had even gone with her to see her family and beg for both forgiveness and permission to marry… but because they never even asked for permission to see each other in the first place, they had been granted neither. Kakashi's heartbeat nearly doubled, it was happening all over again!

After meeting with her family Tsumi had been thrown out and disowned, Hatake Sakumo had wanted to marry her still- but she refused to marry without her family's permission. His parents lived had together and she gave birth to Kakashi; and once a week she would go and beg her family for permission to marry Sakumo. They refused every time. For seven years this ritual continued and Kakashi was forced to watch as his mother slowly withered away until one day she was just… gone.

A week later Sakumo had gone on the fateful mission that would cause him to perform seppuku upon his return, and within the span of two weeks Kakashi had become an orphan. No one from his mother's family had come for either funeral, but Namekaze-san had still tried to take Kakashi to them to be raised. They had refused, and it was _then_ that Kakashi had learned a terrible truth. Not long after Tsumi and Sakumo had first gone to the family, the Kaname family had offered to take her back- but only if she got rid of the child first. Tsumi had refused- because it was _Sakumo's_ child… just like Sakura…

Kakashi didn't realize that he was hyperventilating until he saw Sakura's worried face looking into his own. "Kakashi, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

The thudding in his ears subsided and his breathing eased as a thread of her cool chakra entered his system and he was finally able to think a little more clearly. Shaking his head Kakashi stood, dully wondering when she had arisen and how long she had been watching him. Hanako's words had unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

"I think I should go…" Staring blankly ahead he stepped toward the door, only to be stopped by a tug on his sleeve. His eyes looked down at the hand keeping him from his destination and then trailed his eye up the arm until he was looking into Sakura's concerned gaze. She must have seen something in his eye that warned her of his mood because she immediately let go of his sleeve.

"I… Thank you Kakashi."

"I didn't _do_ anything Sakura."

She looked down at her mother briefly before meeting his eye again. "You were here."

Kakashi's stare was intense, as if judging and weighing her words before turning toward the door again and walking out; with only a two fingered wave over his shoulder for a good-bye.

* * *

OMG, it's a record! I don't think I've ever updated 3 chapters in one month on any of my stories before! I am sorry to say that I have NO idea when the next chapter will be posted, but I'll be working on it... among all my other stories... ^_^v

Review?


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